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QMI Agency

Apr 6, 2013

, Last Updated: 8:26 PM ET

The Vancouver Canucks plan to retire Pavel Bure's number even though the Russian Rocket played less than 500 games with them and left on something of a sour note.

Bure had back-to-back 60-goal seasons with the Canucks in the early 1990s and finished his all-too-short NHL career with 437 goals and 342 assists. But his career numbers, and the overwhelmingly positive reaction Bure got from the Vancouver fans Thursday have prompted the Canucks to honour him.

"This is something we're going to work on and definitely it's in the plans," Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini told the Vancouver Province. "We think that Pavel is going to be a great addition to all the members who are retired up there. He's such a great guy and he's such an exciting player. You could see the fans.

"The standing ovation went on for at least five minutes. He never had problems with the fans. He had problems with management, but never the fans."

Bure, who also played for Florida and the New York Rangers, retired in 2005 due to a chronic knee problem and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 along with Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Mats Sundin.

NO BAN FOR DEL ZOTTO

New York Rangers defenceman Michael Del Zotto escaped punishment for his high hit on Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal Friday.

The NHL didn't schedule a hearing with Del Zotto Saturday, which would indicate he would not be suspended or fined for the play, which did not draw a penalty. Del Zotto appeared to nail Neal with an elbow after the Penguin forward collided with him from behind.

"I think they just dumped (the puck) in, and I knew I was going to get hit on the forecheck," Del Zotto said, pleading innocence on the hit. "I just tried to kind of reverse hit and brace myself. I'm not sure exactly what happened."

Neal left the game as a result of the hit but there was no update to his injury status Saturday.

SHEAHAN IN SHOW

The Detroit Red Wings called up Tinky Winky, sorry, forward Riley Sheahan, from Grand Rapids of the AHL Saturday.

Sheahan, you'll recall, pleaded guilty in December to drunk driving after an embarrassing incident in Grand Rapids. He was fined $1,325 and ordered to complete 49 hours on a work crew while serving 12 months of probation.

The former first-round draft pick of the Red Wings was wearing a purple Teletubby costume when stopped by the cops on Oct. 29. He also had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.30, a level that qualifies as "super-drunk" under Michigan law.

Sheahan was called up in case Henrik Zetterberg is unavailable to play Sunday. Zetterberg has a nagging groin injury.

LARSSON MIFFED

The frustration is starting to set in for New Jersey Devils defenceman Adam Larsson.

The 20-year-old, drafted fourth overall in 2011, has been a healthy scratch recently and isn't entirely happy about it. He's sat out three of the last four games.

"I guess that's up to the coach. It isn't up to me," Larsson told the Bergen Record. "If I get a spot in the lineup, I will give all I can to stay in there. But it's pretty tough right now and I don't have probably the best confidence. I guess that's normal when you're sitting. Like I've always said, it's never fun. I don't think it ever will be fun to sit out. So, it's frustrating, it's tough, but I guess that's part of the process."

Larsson has played just 28 games with the Devils this season after spending the NHL lockout with Albany of the AHL.

BRIEFLY

The Winnipeg Jets signed University of Denver goalie Juho Olkinuora to an entry-level contract, according to TSN. The 22-year-old Finn was 13-5-6 with a 2.35 goals-against average this season ... Jeremy Brodeur, the son of New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, was drafted by the Oshawa Generals in the eighth round Saturday. The younger Brodeur is a goalie, too. The London Knights picked winger Matthew Tkachuk, the son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk, in the fourth round.